SMC CONTINUES
TO BE NO. 1 IN TRANSFERS TO UC
College Also Leader in Transferring Minority Students

Santa Monica
College continued to maintain its No. 1 position in transfer of students
to the prestigious University of California system in 2002-03, far outpacing
the community college with the second highest transfer numbers.

In addition, the college continues to be a leader
in sending underrepresented minorities to the UC system and in transferring
students to such private schools as the University of Southern California.
"SMC attracts highly-qualified students
and challenges them to meet high expectations,” said Dan Nannini,
SMC Transfer Center coordinator.

SMC transferred 895 students to UC campuses
last school year, far outdistancing the No. 2 feeder, De Anza College
in Cupertino, with 589.
In addition, SMC:

• Was the leader in sending African
American students to UC (33, up from last year’s 27).
• Was the No. 2 transfer institution for Chicano/Latino students
to UC (after Riverside Community College), sending 88.
• Was by far the leading transfer school to USC, sending 149 to
the highly regarded university – nearly twice the number sent
by the No. 2 feeder, Pasadena City College, with 75.
• Ranked second statewide in its combined UC-California State
University transfers. Altogether, SMC sent 1,011 students to Cal State
campuses, up slightly from last year’s 1,006.
• Sends about 1,000 students each year to campuses throughout
the U.S., including such universities as Yale, Stanford, and Columbia.
• Significantly increased the number of transfer students admitted
to UCLA in fall 2003 compared to fall 2002 – 700 versus 482, a
45 percent jump.

UCLA, UC Irvine and UC Berkeley continue
to be the most popular destinations for SMC students. SMC transfers to
Berkeley jumped significantly in 2002-03 over the previous year, to 109
from 87.
Nannini credits the college’s quality faculty, high school outreach
programs and the clout of KCRW, the college’s public radio station,
as draws for its high caliber students.

In addition, Nannini pointed out that the
college has a strong transfer counseling record. SMC’s Transfer
Center conducts workshops, hosts one of the largest college fairs in the
state, holds weekly visits from four-year institutions, and has a close
working relationship with UC and CSU to make sure SMC students get credit
for their classes.

Nannini said he is pleased that SMC is ranked
so high in transfers of students from underrepresented minorities, but
noted that the total is still lower than what the college would like.
Specialized centers for African American and Latino students work hard
to improve those numbers, he said.